Health Benefits for Businesses: Certainty and Uncertainty
Readers of this blog will know we’ve discussed how the presidential election will impact the future of benefits, the potential repealing or replacing of the Affordable Care Act and even more recent legislation in the 21st Century Cures Bill. In short, some changes have already happened and there is still plenty of uncertainty. In some ways, we are “living in interesting times” when it comes to the future of health care and its impact on employers and their employees.
But potential change doesn’t necessarily mean employers should take a “wait and see” attitude. Let’s take a look at what we know and how employers can seize an opportunity to apply a better approach to employee benefits now:
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
At the heart of what we hear from the employers we work with everyday is the desire to reduce their administrative burden associated with providing employee benefits and increase their ability to control costs. That’s why a defined contribution approach makes so much sense for so many businesses. With this approach, employers choose how much money to contribute towards employee benefits, and employees select their own plans. Whether the business is focused on providing “rich” benefits to attract and retain top-tier talent, or they want to provide basic benefits to a part-time, contract or entry-level workforce, we help employers stick within their budget. As change comes to the regulatory and compliance environment, we’ll continue to provide a defined contribution model that makes sense for employers. [Want to learn more about defined contribution employee benefits? Download our Gravie Guide: Defined Contribution Employee Benefits]
SMART TECH
You don’t have to look far beyond your front door (or even your living room) to see the impact of technology on our daily lives. From transportation like Uber or Lyft, to e-commerce like Amazon or Jet.com, entertainment like Netflix or Hulu, to health-related services like telemedicine and advanced monitoring, we all depend on technology to improve our lives. When it comes to health benefits, smart technology plays a similarly important role. Shopping tools like those at Gravie.com help employees make informed decisions about which plan is best for their specific needs and preferences. This technology also helps people throughout the year so they can have simple access to plan information and get the most out of their benefits. Again, even as regulations change, technology that is well-designed and truly improves a customer’s experience will remain a constant need.
HUMAN TOUCH
When it comes to helping people make the best decisions about improving and financing their health, there are times when human-to-human connections are irreplaceable. We’ve seen from the stories that come from our members that individuals and their families often need an empathetic ear, as well as expertise on navigating the complicated health care system. For people that have complex situations, having a licensed, expert advisor at their side – especially during a time that could be particularly stressful – can make a huge difference. We’ve designed Gravie Care to provide that kind of remarkable service, and measure ourselves constantly to make sure we exceed our members’ expectations.
If you’re an employer sorting out what the future of your employee benefits looks like, our expert team is here to help – now and in the future. Contact us today.